The 2002 NCAA Division I baseball tournament was played at the end of the 2002 NCAA Division I baseball season to determine the national champion of college baseball. The tournament concluded with eight teams competing in the College World Series, a double-elimination tournament in its fifty sixth year. Sixteen regional competitions were held to determine the participants in the final event, with each winner advancing to a best of three series against another regional champion for the right to play in the College World Series. Each region was composed of four teams, resulting in 64 teams participating in the tournament at the conclusion of their regular season, and in some cases, after a conference tournament. The fifty-sixth tournament's champion was Texas, coached by Augie Garrido. This was Texas' first title since 1983, but Augie Garrido previously won three titles with Cal State Fullerton. The Most Outstanding Player was Huston Street of Texas.
Due to fears over terrorism and travel security in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the Division I Baseball Committee, which selects the 64-team field and places the teams on the bracket, was ordered by the NCAA to keep regional pairings as localized as possible, in order to minimize the number of plane trips utilized. Due to these travel constraints, teams from the same conference were allowed to play in the same regional for the first time. An example of the travel restrictions came from the regional in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, featuring four schools from the Bayou State which are located a total of apart along Interstate 10, the first time (and to date, last) a regional has been entirely an in-state affair outside California, Florida, and Texas. The travel restrictions were eased in 2003, and the ban on conference teams facing each other in regional play was reinstated.
Bids
Automatic bids Conference champions from 30 Division I conferences earned automatic bids to regionals. The remaining 34 spots were awarded to schools as at-large invitees. ConferenceSchoolBerth type America East Tournament champion ACC Tournament champion Atlantic Sun Tournament champion A-10 Tournament champion Big East Notre Dame Tournament champion Big South Tournament champion Big Ten Tournament champion Big 12 Texas Tournament champion Big West Regular-season champion CAA Tournament champion Conference USA Tournament champion Horizon League Tournament champion Ivy League Championship series winner MAAC Tournament champion MAC Tournament champion Mid-Con Tournament champion MEAC Tournament champion Missouri Valley Tournament champion MWC Tournament champion NEC Tournament champion OVC Tournament champion Pac-10 Regular-season champion Patriot League Tournament champion SEC Tournament champion SoCon Tournament champion Southland Tournament champion SWAC Tournament champion Sun Belt Tournament champion WCC Championship series winner WAC Regular-season champion
Bids by conference Conference Total Schools Southeastern 7 , , , Florida, , , South Carolina Atlantic Coast 5 Clemson, , , , Big 12 5 , Nebraska, , Texas, Conference USA 5 , , , , Pacific-10 4 , Stanford, , Sun Belt 4 , , , Atlantic Sun 3 , Florida Atlantic, Big West 3 , , Atlantic 10 2 , Big South 2 , Colonial Athletic 2 , Missouri Valley 2 , Western Athletic 2 , America East 1 Big East 1 Notre Dame Big Ten 1 Horizon 1 Independent 1 Ivy 1 Metro Atlantic 1 Mid-American 1 Mid-Continent 1 Mid-Eastern 1 Mountain West 1 Northeast 1 Ohio Valley 1 Patriot 1 Southern 1 Southland 1 Southwestern Athletic 1 West Coast 1
Notes on tournament field Central Connecticut State, Elon, Louisville, New Mexico St., and San Diego were making their first NCAA tournament appearance.
National seeds Bold indicates CWS participant. (lost super regional at home vs. Notre Dame) Clemson (eliminated by Florida Atlantic in regional at home)
Texas South Carolina (eliminated by Richmond in regional at home) Stanford
Regionals and super regionals
Bold indicates winner.
Tallahassee Super Regional
Clemson Super Regional
Atlanta Super Regional
Houston Super Regional
Austin Super Regional †Arizona State hosted at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, Arizona, where they played their 2002 season due to construction at Packard Stadium.
Columbia Super Regional
Lincoln Super Regional
Stanford Super Regional
College World Series
Participants School Conference Record (conference) Head coach CWS appearances Best CWS finish CWS recordNot including this year Clemson ACC 52–15 (16–8) Jack Leggett 9(last: 2000) 3rd(1996) 7–18 ACC 51–14 (14–9) Danny Hall 1(last: 1994) 2nd(1994) 3–1 Nebraska Big 12 47–19 (16–11) Dave Van Horn 1(last: 2001) 7th(2001) 0–2 Notre Dame Big East 49–16 (18–8) Paul Mainieri 1(last: 1957) 4th(1957) 2–2 WAC 52–12 (28–2) Wayne Graham 2(last: 1999) 6th(1999) 1–4 South Carolina SEC 53–16 (21–8) Ray Tanner 5(last: 1985) 2nd(1975, 1977) 9–10 Stanford Pac-10 45–16 (16–8) Mark Marquess 13(last: 2001) 1st(1987, 1988) 31–22 Texas Big 12 53–15 (19–8) Augie Garrido 28(last: 2000) 1st(1949, 1950, 1975, 1983) 64–49
Results
Bracket
Game results
Date Game Winner Score Loser Notes June 14 Game 1 11–0 South Carolina Game 2 Clemson 11–10 Nebraska June 15 Game 3 Stanford 4–3 Notre Dame Game 4 Texas 2–1 June 16 Game 5 South Carolina 10–8 Nebraska Nebraska eliminated Game 6 Clemson 9–7 June 17 Game 7 Notre Dame 5–3 Rice eliminated Game 8 Texas 8–7 Stanford June 18 Game 9 South Carolina 9–5 Georgia Tech eliminated Game 10 Stanford 5–3 Notre Dame Notre Dame eliminated June 19 Game 11 South Carolina 12–4 Clemson June 20 Game 12 Texas 6–5 Stanford Stanford eliminated June 21 Game 13 South Carolina 10–2 Clemson Clemson eliminated June 22 Final Texas 12–6 South Carolina Texas wins CWS
Championship Game
All-Tournament Team
The following players were members of the College World Series All-Tournament Team. Position Player School P Justin Simmons Texas Huston Street (MOP) Texas C Landon Powell 1B Michael Johnson Clemson 2B Tim Moss Texas 3B Omar Quintanilla Texas SS Victor Menocal Georgia Tech OF Sam Fuld Stanford Justin Harris Dustin Majewski Texas DH Steve Stanley Notre Dame
Tournament notes This was the last College World Series championship to be decided by a single game as the final was moved to a best-of-three format the following year.
See also 2002 NCAA Division II baseball tournament 2002 NCAA Division III baseball tournament 2002 NAIA World Series
References